US20170000273A1

US20170000273A1 - Neck pillow

Info

Publication number: US20170000273A1
Application number: US15/201,900
Authority: US
Inventors: Joseph Paul MITCHELL
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2015-07-02
Filing date: 2016-07-05
Publication date: 2017-01-05

Abstract

A neck pillow used by a person during periods of travel, particularly during air flights. The neck pillow contains an insert with a plurality of openings to allow air flow between a first side and a second side of the neck pillow. A pocket is included for storing personal items such as a cellular phone.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority to provisional patent application 62/188,049 which was filed on Jul. 2, 2015 and is hereby expressly incorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In airplanes and in other modes of transportation, a traveler may desire to sleep while in a seated position. Such a position is not conducive to obtain a posture that allows one to comfortably sleep. Specifically, a traveler's head may lack needed support and the head may fall to one side. Such an act can awaken the traveler and leave the traveler susceptible to injury. Additionally, the traveler may seek to lean his or her head on a surface that is not conducive to a posture that is healthy for the neck and spine. Furthermore, the limited space for stowing personal items while traveling creates a need for storage compartments in a traveler's items.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a device that provides support to the neck and head of a person;
It is further an object of the invention to provide a device that has storage;
It is further an object of the invention to provide a device that allows air to flow through the device to a user of the device.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A neck pillow for use by a person, particularly during periods of travel. The neck pillow wraps around the neck such that a first end of the neck pillow is connected to a second end via connection members. The neck pillow has several features including openings for air passage, an angled portion for comfort and a pocket for storage. The preferred embodiment has mounting members for selectively attaching the connection members to the main body of the neck pillow.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a neck pillow with an outer covering;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the neck pillow with the outer covering;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the neck pillow with the outer covering;

FIG. 4 is a side view of the neck pillow with the outer covering in an unfastened position;

FIG. 5 is a side view of the inner portion with the outer covering removed;

FIG. 6 is a side view of the neck pillow with the outer covering showing the fasteners unattached to mounting members.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Now referring to the drawings, a neck pillow 20 is shown. As best seen in FIG. 1 and FIG. 5, the neck pillow 20 comprises a covering 22 and an insert 50. The covering 22 covers the insert 50 while the neck pillow is being utilized by a user of the neck pillow.
Preferably the insert 50 is made up of foam or some other cushioning material. The insert 50 contains a plurality of openings 51 that allow for air flow to flow from a first side 25 of the neck pillow 20 to a second side 27 of the neck pillow, which make the user feel more comfortable and relaxed as the openings 51 are designed to cool down the user's neck and reduce heat. Preferably each opening 51 is approximately two centimeters in circumference. The neck pillow 20 has a first end 36 and a second end 38. Preferably the first end 36 and the second end 38 of the neck pillow 20 are shaped and angled to better accommodate necks of various sizes.
As shown in FIG. 5, the insert 50 contains a first section 54 that is narrower than a second section 55 and a third section 57 which are both adjacent to the first section 54. The first section 54 allows a user of the neck pillow 20 to more easily rest his head on the first section 54 of the neck pillow 20.
The covering 22 is placed over the insert 50. The covering 22 can be made of various materials, particularly fabrics that are not abrasive to human skin. Again the first section 54 of the insert 50 is accessible as a resting member 24 when the cover 22 is placed over the insert 50. A pocket 40 can be added to the covering 22 and allows the user to store certain personal items such as a cellular phone in the pocket 40.
As shown in FIGS. 1-4, a fastening mechanism 30 has a first portion 31 and a second portion 33. The first portion 31 is mounted on the first end 36 and the second portion 33 is mounted on the second section 38 of the neck pillow 20. The fastening mechanism 30 can be a clip and is used to adjust the neck pillow 20 to accommodate various size necks. A strap 32 can be used in conjunction with the fastening mechanism 30 to adjust the neck pillow 20. As shown in FIG. 6, the first portion 31 and second portion 33 can be selectively mounted on a first mounting member 60 and a second mounting member 62 respectively. The use of Velcro is the preferred method of attachment. The selective mounting of the first portion 31 and the second portion 33 allow the neck pillow 20 to be stored more easily while not in use.
Having thus described the invention in connection with the several embodiments thereof, it will be evident to those skilled in the art that various revisions can be made to the several embodiments described herein with out departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is my intention, however, that all such revisions and modifications that are evident to those skilled in the art will be included with in the scope of the following claims. Any elements of any embodiments disclosed herein can be used in combination with any elements of other embodiments disclosed herein in any manner to create different embodiments.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A neck pillow for a user, comprising:

an insert;

a covering over the insert;

a first end;

a second end;

a fastening mechanism wherein the fastening mechanism can be adjusted to accommodate different size necks of the user;

the insert comprising a plurality of openings wherein air can flow from a first side of the neck pillow to a second side of the neck pillow.

2. The neck pillow of claim 1, further comprising:

a pocket.

3. The neck pillow of claim 2, further comprising:

a first mounting member.

4. The neck pillow of claim 3, wherein:

the first mounting member is selectively attachable to a first portion of the fastening mechanism.

5. The neck pillow of claim 4, further comprising:

a second mounting member.

6. The neck pillow of claim 5, wherein:

the second mounting member is selectively attachable to a second portion of the fastening mechanism.

7. The neck pillow of claim 6, wherein:

the insert comprises a first section that is narrower than adjacent second section and third section.

8. The neck pillow of claim 7, wherein:

each of the openings is approximately two centimeters in circumference.

9. A neck pillow for traveling, comprising:

an insert;

a covering over the insert;

a first end;

a second end;

10. The neck pillow of claim 9, further comprising:

a pocket.

11. The neck pillow of claim 10, further comprising:

a first mounting member.

12. The neck pillow of claim 11, wherein:

13. The neck pillow of claim 12, further comprising:

a second mounting member.

14. The neck pillow of claim 13, wherein:

15. A neck pillow for traveling, comprising:

an insert;

a covering over the insert;

a pocket on the covering;

a first end;

a second end;

the insert comprising a plurality of openings wherein air can flow from a first side of the neck pillow to a second side of the neck pillow;

the fastening mechanism connects the first end to the second end;

a first section of the fastening mechanism on the first end of the neck pillow;

a second section of the fastening mechanism on the second end of the neck pillow;

the first section selectively attachable to a first mounting member;

the second section selectively attachable to a second mounting member.